Lenten alms change lives

Each Lent, Catholic families across the country unite to put their faith into action through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. One way we do that is through the Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl Program.

CRS aims to assist impoverished and disadvantaged people overseas, working in the spirit of Catholic social teaching to promote the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person.

Our community will participate in this faith-in-action program that invites us to reflect on the challenges of global hunger and our responsibility to respond to the global family needs. Together as a family, we'll reflect on the cross of hunger and lack of proper nutrition so many of our brothers and sisters, both near and far, are forced to carry.

We invite you to consider some CRS suggestions for your family's Lenten plan:

• Use your CRS Rice Bowl and Lenten Calendar daily to guide your family prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

• Read the Stories of Hope and daily reflections to inspire your Lenten journey.

• Prepare simple, meatless meals on the Fridays of Lent to eat in solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world.

Through CRS Rice Bowl, families learn about how our sisters and brothers across the globe overcome hardships like hunger and malnutrition and how we have the power to make the world a better place for all through Lenten alms.

Rice Bowls will be available at Mass starting on February 10. If you would like to learn more about the people you support through your Lenten gifts to the CRS Rice Bowl, you can visit the CRS website. Thank you for your generosity.